Interview : Michelle Monaghan

Actress Michelle Monaghan recently spoke about her role in the exciting new film, "Mission Impossible 3" at a Press Q&A made possible by Paramount Pictures. The film, directed by J.J. Abrams, features the latest adventures of super-spy Ethan Hunt as he faces his most personal mission yet.

Q. Tell us your first initial reaction to being casting in a movie with the enormity of MI 3 and Tom Cruise.

A. Well, as you can imagine, I was blown away. I never in a million years would have thought that I would be playing opposite Tom Cruise. I mean, this is a guy who I have admired for such a long time. Loved his work. And JJ actually called and I was very surprised. I have always loved his work as well. Had the audition with Tom. Shook in my boots. And got the job and shed a tear. (laughs)

Q. Can you tell us a little about your character, who she is, what type of girl she is, and the predicament that she’s in with Mr. Hunt?

A. Well Julia is a nurse by day, and she thinks Ethan Hunt is a… He studies traffic patterns. It’s a bit of a mundane job actually. And she’s unaware of what he really does for a living, and they’re clearly in love and he kind of goes about his business and comes back. She doesn’t know exactly what he does and over the course of the film she starts to see him become really distressed and she starts to wonder if there’s something else that he’s hiding. Throughout the script she realizes something is not going right, and at that same time, she inadvertently gets caught up in his mission. She’s threatened by Philip Seymour Hoffman and the drama ensues.

Q. Obviously a great cast. Obviously JJ is a very amicable director, very talented guy, equally Tom as well. Tell us a little bit about working with both of them and how giving they were to someone like yourself.

A. I felt so lucky to be working with both of them because first of all, to me, they’re both two peas in a pod. They both have the same visual sense, and they’re both very enthusiastic about the script. And they really included me in on the process as well. And I thought that there might be days where, if we were going to do a rewrite here and there and discuss certain things, that they would kind of walk off into a corner and I’d just sit there and drink my coffee which was fine by me. But I was really a part of the process and I really appreciated that, and they’re both just complete pros. And I learned a lot from both of them. I learned a lot of patience from Tom because he showed me a lot of that (laughs) especially during those action scenes.

Audiences are going to be invested in these characters in a way that they haven’t in the past. They’re definitely going to see Ethan Hunt is a different light. I mean he looks as good as ever, of course. But you get to see his vulnerable side and that’s going to be really attractive to all the female gals out there (laughs), and you can also still expect all that great action and conspiracy and all of that. And there’s no one that does that better than JJ. He’s awesome at it. He’s such a terrific writer and terrific director. Clearly we know he’s talented as, you know, "Alias," "Lost," all of these things. And so he’s definitely suited to take on the helm of "Mission Impossible." But as an actor working with him, he really is. You know you hear people say he’s a writer’s director, but he really is. He’s so detail oriented, and he really helps you fine tune a performance.

Q. Julia’s character is very grounded. Both Ethan, Julia, and the particular storyline is very grounded and people can related to it It’s not necessarily just supporting cast here. Your arc goes from start to finish. It’s very integral to what happens at the end of the movie. Isn’t it quite nice to have that through line in that character and being involved in so many different facets of that particular storyline?

A. Well absolutely. That’s what first attracted me to this script was that this character… she’s not your typical damsel in distress. She does surprise you in the end. She’s very strong. She’s independent. And, you know, that’s not always typical in Hollywood. In this script you can expect the shoot-em-up and all the action that you see and that you love.

 

But also you have the love story. And so I loved bringing out that aspect that hasn’t been brought out in the previous two so much. And then being able to have that full arc. And being able to be who you think someone is. And then to do a complete 180 and to surprise the audience. I mean that’s the beauty of acting. That’s so much fun.

Q. Working with Tom…obviously he’s a pro at this kind of stuff. But to actually be on the set, traveling to these international locations, and working with him. Just tell us a little bit about working with a guy who… Obviously, this is his baby. He’s produced I, II and the third one now. Just tell us a little about inside working with the man.

A. Well, first of all, you couldn’t ask for a more generous guy. I mean he was so good to the cast, and to the crew, and to myself. And like I said, he’s just a total pro. I mean the one thing that really… What I learned is how much I underestimated stunts and how difficult they are. He makes them look so easy. And then when it came to me to actually having to do all the stunts in the end. I thought, ‘Wait a second. I’ve got to know where my mark is.

 

I’ve got to speak. I’ve got to walk. I’ve got to run. I’ve got to hold a gun. I’ve got to have it go off at the same time with three cameras. And like all the pressure. We’ve only got one take. And he was just such a pro. And said ‘OK. You want to land like this. You want to dive like this. And you want to have a gun like this. And the shell goes there.’ I couldn’t believe how good he was to me. Any other actor of that caliber would have been ‘Enough already. Can we just move on?’ And he was just great to work with. He’s just a really incredible guy. He’s amazing. He’s probably one of the most prescient actors I’ve ever worked with. Completely professional and just a really, really special person

Michelle will be seen next as the star of Miramax Films’ "Gone, Baby, Gone," directed by Ben Affleck and based on Dennis Lehane’s novel of the same title. Be sure and also read our Tom Cruise Interview and dont miss my Mission Impossible 3 Review